Imagine strolling through a field and suddenly coming across an enormous jumbo jet parked casually, as if it had been a Nissan Micra.
You’d probably spend a fair amount of time rubbing your eyes, all the while vowing to give the pub a wide berth for a couple of weeks.
However, this was indeed the bizarre sight which met puzzled locals in Chai Nat, over in northern Thailand.
The Boeing 747, complete with purple and gold Thai Airways livery, had appeared overnight as if by some sort of magic…
Fascinated villagers hurried to get a closer look at the majestic Queen of the Skies, posing for pictures with the strange spectacle.
However, more adventurous locals were unable to explore further as all the doors, aside from the cargo hold, had been locked tight. The plane had also been stripped of its GEnx engines.
What the heck was going on? Were the villagers experiencing a freakier reboot of Lost?
You can find out more about this weird and wonderful story below:
40-year-old local, Prae Anan, has spoken out about his understandable confusion:
At first I thought it might have run out of fuel and stopped in the field. I’ve never even been on an aeroplane so it was big surprise.
I could not believe it.
The mystery was soon unravelled, and it turned out the decommissioned Boeing 747 had been purchased by land owner, Somchai Phukieow, at an auction. Now, this would certainly liven up Dickinson’s Real Deal.
According to Somchai, he had the jumbo jet delivered by lorry. It was then lifted by a crane before being lowered onto concrete blocks to stop it sinking into the soggy earth.
Somchai has been more than happy to allow curious people take pictures of the Jumbo Jet from a distance, however he’s drawn the line at letting them clamber on inside.
Somchai explained his future intentions for the unusual purchase, and it sounds like he has some pretty cool ideas:
I bought the plane at an auction in the city. The engine and all the computer parts were taken out already.
I would like to make a small attraction here, with a motor-cross track and a football pitch, so people can look inside the plane and watch the sports from inside, too.
In all seriousness, can you even imagine a cooler hang out than a decommissioned plane? Move over Shoreditch, there’s a new hipster location on the map.
In my head I’m seeing the cockpit transformed into a cocktail bar, with airplane themed drinks – complete with dry ice clouds – served by waiters in pilot caps.
Somchai’s idea to turn this into a place for sports fans is an inspired idea, and sounds like it’ll be a great space for the local community. I for one am very excited to see how it all turns out.
I’ve personally never been lucky enough to meet a person wild enough to buy a decommissioned plane at an auction.
Somchai, you sound like an interesting character. Keep on being you and never stop surprising all your neighbours.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.